Early Beef Cattle and Forage Management  

When beef cattle were introduced to the Western Kentucky Substation in 1929, research measured the average yearly gains of steers grazing pasture. This stream of research lasted through at least 1948 and provided a strong impetus for soil fertility management of Western Kentucky pastures according to soil type. Their research showed that average daily gains could be improved by three and a half times on improved pastures compared with unimproved pastures. As a result of this demonstration alone, hundreds of thousands of acres of poor pastureland were improved, leading to a thriving livestock industry in the region.  

During the 1940s and 1950s, the station started the Kentucky Cow and Calf Plan, an initiative launched during the war to enhance the quality of Kentucky’s calves for slaughter. Essentially, the plan involved crossbreeding the dairy stock with an improved beef bull to produce a heavy, milk-fed calf that would grade as Choice at slaughter. The plan was widely adopted throughout western Kentucky. As the 1950s drew to a close, beef research investigated the effects of diethylstibestrol implants on growth rates, showcasing technological advancements in the industry.  

Addressing Grass Tetany in Cattle 

Another initiative, which utilized the new UKREC talent of the 1970s, involved research and Extension efforts concerning grass tetany in cattle. Grass tetany is a troublesome disease that generally occurs in animals grazing lush, fast-growing pastures in the spring and can result in a quick and dramatic death of the affected animal. Research conducted identified the underlying problem as a magnesium deficiency in the bloodstream caused by low levels of magnesium and high levels of potassium in fast-growing pastures.   

This research led to the widespread use of magnesium supplementation to prevent the occurrence of grass tetany. As a result of this research and Extension work (conducted collaboratively by James Boling, Nelson Gay, Curtis Absher, Lloyd Murdock, and Garry Lacefield), this disorder has been reduced from being a significant problem for Kentucky cattle producers; in fact, producers have found that the once devastating disease can be essentially eliminated if they follow the recommendations from the research.

• Preventing Grass Tetany (UK Master Grazer).

Cattle Feed Alternatives 

Research conducted by Extension beef specialist Roy Burris in the 1990s showed that producers could safely feed soybean hulls, a byproduct of soybean meal and soybean oil production, to their cattle without losing any feed value. The soy hulls, which were previously shipped overseas, contain highly digestible fiber for cattle, and Burris believed they could serve as a suitable replacement for corn as a supplement for cattle on high-fiber, pasture-based diets. As a result, Kentucky producers began utilizing all the soy hulls produced by soybean farmers in the state, which totaled more than 120,000 tons per year at the time. Success with feeding soy hulls also led to expanded interest and further research at UKREC into feeding other byproducts, including corn screenings and wheat screenings.  

Increased production of ethanol in Kentucky with the installation of Commonwealth Agri-Energy in Hopkinsville grew the availability of distillers grains for livestock. From 2008 to 2012, UKREC researchers conducted studies on feeding distillers’ grains, derived from the production of spirits or ethanol, to livestock and advised farmers on the opportunities these presented for developing more cost-effective diets for beef cattle. 

• UK soybean hull research gives options to Kentucky cattle farmers
• Distillers Grain Coproducts for Beef Cattle (ASC-186)

Building a High-Quality Cattle Industry  

As income from tobacco declined for farmers in Kentucky during the 2000s, Extension specialists and county agents sought new ways to help them ensure the sustainability of their farms. One opportunity lay in the state’s abundant forage base and beef cattle industry, which was ripe for expansion. Despite the potential, producers had generally been slow to adopt new technologies and business practices. More strategic and disciplined management practices, a targeted marketing plan, and a deeper investment in quality were needed across the state to help beef producers improve the net income of their operations.  

When tobacco buyout funds became available for Kentucky, some advocates pushed to use the money to build brick-and-mortar facilities to support the state’s cattle industry. UKREC Extension beef specialist Roy Burris and like-minded Extension colleagues, however, lobbied successfully for an investment in the industry’s people through the development of comprehensive educational programming to be delivered by Extension specialists and industry experts. The aim was to build a base of the most skilled and knowledgeable producers in the country.   

“We have the confidence that we can change the industry,” Burris said at the time. “We have a window of opportunity to change things and make a difference.”  

To secure the buy-in of Kentucky cattle producers, however, the Princeton farm needed to rebuild its operation, which included approximately 175 head of primarily Angus cattle at the time, into a model research herd. Within a few years, local farmers took notice of the improvement in the Princeton herd’s quality, Burris said, and many saw it as a bellwether for the program’s effectiveness.   

Beef Integrated Resource Management (IRM)  

Since the development of the Kentucky Cow-Calf Plan in the 1950s, under the leadership of Experiment Station associate director and Animal Industry Group chairman Dr. Wesley Garrigus, the University of Kentucky had been working to encourage the use of better-quality bulls to produce more profitable calves across the state. In the late 1960s, the existing steer barn at the Princeton farm was updated with new pens and the addition of more advanced Calan gates, which used electronic transponders fitted on individual animals to allow controlled access to different feed options. This opened the door for more precise research on beef cattle management at the facility.  

In 2000, the Beef Integrated Resource Management (IRM) teams in Kentucky and Tennessee secured a joint USDA grant of $750,000 with the goal of increasing the income and profitability of beef operations in both states through an intensive educational effort. The project’s aim was to bring the latest technology and information directly to producers, showing them how to apply it, helping them measure performance, and ultimately making them industry leaders in their local areas. It introduced producers to sound business practices, including the development of customized management calendars, forage utilization practices, artificial insemination techniques, and the interpretation of breeding values, as well as value-added calf sale opportunities. The effort launched a host of educational initiatives, including the Master Cattleman and Master Stocker programs, that continue to enhance the knowledge of both new and experienced beef cattle producers throughout the region.   

Certified Preconditioned for Health (CPH) Program  

Before the introduction of the Certified Preconditioning for Health (CPH) program in Kentucky in 1979, calves were typically unweaned, unvaccinated, and not dehorned, dewormed, or castrated when sold. The prices that Kentucky farmers could hope to secure for them were severely discounted as a result. Both producers and buyers were reluctant to change due to the added effort required from the cow-calf producer and the higher price for the feedlots.     

Early in his career at UKREC, Extension beef specialist Roy Burris was conducting a visit to a high-quality feedlot in Texas when he asked the cattleman why he didn’t buy cattle from Kentucky. He was told the calves from Kentucky had a reputation for being weak, small-framed and prone to getting sick.  

“He told me the heifers in Kentucky must be born pregnant,” Burris said. “We took that as a challenge to do better, and we have.”  

Extension specialists advocated for the CPH program and worked to educate the agricultural community about it, as they believed it offered great promise for producers, the state, and the industry. Gradually, Kentucky producers came to realize they needed a better market for their calves, and they were willing to work toward that end. By the 2010s, CPH-45 certification could add between $50 and $100 to the sale price of a typical calf, an increase that proved especially significant for small farmers who previously found it difficult to compete with larger cattle lots.   

Thanks in part to the efforts of UK beef Extension professionals at UKREC, preconditioning has become an accepted practice, and Kentucky’s CPH program has grown to become one of the top management programs for weaned calves in the country.